Features Stories

Words: Dave Weckstein, Images: Caitlin JefkoAs we enter the first full month of fall, I decided to immerse myself in a night at Martyrs, one of my favorite Chicago music venues. On Tuesday, October 2nd, the club played host to four talented jazz influenced acts. While changing weather may leave some longing for the warm...

For a concert junkie like me, Prince had been a "bucket list" artist for as long as I can remember. With an unpredictable live performance schedule, seemingly disconnected with the conventional tour routing and promotion infrastructure; there is legitimate concern that a casual fan might miss him on a swing through their city. Luckily I...

It's rare that I'd have to start a concert review with Spoiler Alert and even rarer that I'd fall so hard for a show that was as well-planned and seemingly scripted as this event, but despite these caveats David Byrne and St. Vincent at Chicago Theater was Grade A entertainment and among my favorite shows...

TigerFace. It's not an image I often think of, but in the context of the music of Marco Benevento, its easy to make some quick associations. The head of the beast. Large, majestic, iconic, dangerous. Yes, Marco's music is all of those things; well, maybe not so dangerous... but there's certainly enough risk taking contained...

My live music passion has taken me all sorts of places but it didn't occur to me, until being in the stands at Wrigley Field on Friday, that there are some things I'm just not used to experiencing:Up to twenty musicians on stage at once and a dramatic full band "roll call" to introduce...

Sold Out. The phrase adorned Martyrs website by Friday morning, determining the destiny of all but the most hardcore fence sitters, some of whom turned out to try their luck anyway. There was little, if any, luck to be had, and Martyrs staff had its hands full with people trying to game the system to...

Another year at Dick's, another wild setlist "stunt" for Phish. Here are ten reasons why I think spelling F-U-C-K--Y-O-U-R--F-A-C-E with the first letter of each song was so inspired.1. It is an acknowledgement what happened "just last year". Nearly one year ago to the day, in the exact same location, Phish trotted out the "S"...

For the second time in three months, Anders Osborne brought his powerful guitar sounds to Chicago, this time to the clubby, upscale Park West. In contrast to the more staid crowd at his last appearance at SPACE in Evanston, this crowd skewed younger, perhaps as a result of the location as well as the band...

Jimmy Herring humbly offers his considerable musical gifts to those who enjoy a rigorous musical workout. For a music writer, havingSubject To Change Without Noticeas the title of the guitarist's lastest release is like wrapping that gift with flowing ribbon and shiny bows. The album's name easily suggests not only the confident stylistic swingsthat gives...